In the middle of April
2016 the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) stopped people returning to the recently
liberated city of Ramadi. Religious and political leaders in Anbar had been
encouraging people to move back to score political points even though it was
completely unsafe. More than 200 people ended up dead and wounded as a result
of IEDs left behind by the Islamic State. The time when people will be able to
move back has just faced a major setback when the contract to clear the city
was terminated.
Ramadi was freed at the beginning of February and almost
immediately there were clerics and politicians calling on people to return even
though the city was full of unexploded ordinance. Members of the Anbar
and Khalidiya
council warned that it could be two to six months before the city was cleared,
but thousands of displaced were already flowing back into the city. It wasn’t
until March
that a U.S. company was contracted to remove the IEDs. Actual work didn’t begin
until the end of April.
By then over two hundred people had been killed and wounded in the city due to
IEDs. Then in May it was reported that the American company had subcontracted
its job to another firm that was not qualified to deal with explosives. That led
to the deal being cancelled.
The ISF and volunteers have been demining Ramadi as well, but there are far to
few of them to deal with such a large area. That means it might be months more
before the city is safe, and people can start rebuilding.
SOURCES
Kalin, Stephen, “Islamic State mines kill dozens of
civilians returning to Ramadi,” Reuters, 4/22/16
Al Mada, “Break the siege on Haditha lowers prices and
tempts the displaced to return..and the army surrounds Fallujah,” 5/12/16
- “Clearing mines in Ramadi needs two months .. And politics
hinder freeing Garma,” 3/17/16
- “Al-Hmam accuse Daash leaders of being in Ramadi and
rushing to return 19 thousand families,” 4/26/16
Reuters, “Iraqi military freezes civilians’ return to Ramadi
over mine deaths,” 4/24/16
Sotaliraq, “Ramadi needs six months to remove improvised
explosives devices and war waste in city,” 3/20/16
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